Low energy thermal transfer recording medium and method

Abstract

Thermal-transfer recording medium comprises a substrate, a releasing layer that overlies the substrate and mainly includes wax, and an ink layer that overlies the releasing layer and includes coloring agent and saturated polyester resin. The saturated polyester resin is formed by combining at least a trivalent acidic component. Number average molecular weight of the saturated polyester resin ranges from greater or equal to 300 to not greater than 1000.

1. A thermal transfer recording medium, comprising:
 a substrate; 
 a releasing layer overlying the substrate, said releasing layer mainly comprising a wax; and 
 an ink layer overlying the releasing layer, said ink layer comprising a coloring agent and a saturated polyester resin; 
 wherein 
 said saturated polyester resin includes at least a tribasic acid component, 
 a number average molecular weight of said saturated polyester resin ranges from about 300 to 1000, and 
 the glass transition point of said saturated polyester resin ranges from about 10 to 50 degrees centigrade. 
 
     
     
       2. The thermal-transfer recording medium according to  claim 1 , wherein said ink layer further comprises a lubricant. 
     
     
       3. The thermal-transfer recording medium according to  claim 2 , wherein said lubricant is at least one selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin wax and an oxidized polyolefin wax. 
     
     
       4. The thermal transfer recording medium according to  claim 1 , wherein said releasing layer comprises a polyolefin wax. 
     
     
       5. The thermal transfer recording medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the wax of said releasing layer is at least one selected from the group consisting of bees wax, whale wax, Japan wax, rice wax, carnuba wax, candelilla wax, montan wax, shellac wax, paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, ester wax, polyethylene wax, oxidized paraffin wax, oxidized polyethylene wax, ozokerite ceresin and alpha-olefin derivative. 
     
     
       6. The thermal-transfer recording medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the releasing layer further comprises a low viscosity performance-promoting agent, wherein the low viscosity performance-promoting agent is a resin selected from the group consisting of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer 
     
     
       7. The thermal-transfer recording medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the releasing layer further comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of butadiene rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, butyl rubber, nitrile rubber and styrene-butadiene rubber. 
     
     
       8. The thermal-transfer recording medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least tri-basic acid componant is at least one selected from the group consisting of trimellitic acid and pyromellitic acid. 
     
     
       9. A method for forming a transfer image, comprising:
 imagewise heating a thermal transfer recording medium as claimed in  claim 1 , with a line thermal head of a printer; and 
 transferring an image formed on the thermal transfer recording medium onto a transferring objective. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said line thermal head is an end face head. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said transferring objective comprises at least one selected from a film and a paper.